Under the Open Sky
by christellax
Summary: Castle invites Beckett to come camping with them...
1. Chapter 1

_My first fanfic and English story ever. _Don't judge too hard. This chapter is short, but most of others will be longer.

I don't know which season this could be. But they are not together yet.

And sorry about possible mistakes, no one corrects me and I'm not fluent speaker of English. Okay, now, here is the first chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Invitation<strong>

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><p>Tick… Tock… Tick… Five minutes until it's five o'clock and she is free. If there's no body call.<p>

Kate Beckett was doing some paperworks from their previous case. She got a week off and against her usual opinion about holidays, this time she was keeping it. She thought that it would be good for her, rest little bit. And besides, when Esposito and Ryan were taking some holiday too to spend some time with their girlfriends, there was nothing to do alone. (Okay, maybe not alone. Even not together. With Castle… Like he would stay back.)

Richard Castle came from break room holding two warm coffee cups. She give another one to Kate, who looked up to him smiling thankfully. She took first sip of her coffee and turned back to her paperwork.

"So…" Castle started. Beckett looked again up from her papers and raised an eyebrow for a question.

"What are you doing on your holiday?" he asked. Kate tried to read something from his face, why he was asking. She was sure that there was some crazy ideas again. She was little bit suspicious, but answered truthfully: "Nothing much, finally getting some rest. I haven't planned anything special, I'll see then." She answered her gaze dropping once again back to papers.

"´Come camping with us!" Castle said suddenly with a huge grin. And Kate almost to spat the coffee out.

_What?_

"What?"

"What what? Oh, it'll be fun! We can make some food around the campfire. Marshmallows, Yum! And barbeque. And tell ghost stories at evenings. And so much more. Please, come", he answered with childlike enthusiasm and puppy eyes.

"I… I don't know… would we be just… together?" she said with a tone which made her sentence a question. She had an incredulous look, even though she was already almost conseeting that idea.

"No, there will be my mother, Alexis, Ashley, Paige and Paige's parents as well. We're not alone. Not at all", he continued, playing nervously with Beckett's red pen.

She thought for a moment, but then…"Well, okay…" she agreed.

"Really? It's gonna be _so _fun!" he said and jumped from the chair and did some kind of dance with a big smile.

"Castle. Stop or I won't come."

"Okay, yeah…"

"And don't say a word to Esposito and Ryan."

"Yea-yea, I won't. We pick you up at nine tomorrow! Be ready then, my detective!" he said and started walking towards precinct's elevator.

Esposito and Ryan has just arrived with that elevator. Just in time to hear his last sentence.

"My detective, huh?"

"Be ready for what?" they questioned.

"For nothing. His next book." she said, knowing her explanation wasn't good enough.

"Seriously? That's your excuse?"

"Um.-. Oh, don't you have work to do?!" She asked.

"Nope, already done. So, Castle's detective, what's the real reason…" Ryan said, but Beckett cut him off fast.

"Well now you guys do." she then grabbed her papers and gave folders to them.

She didn't leave to listen their argument about keeping their mouths shut and stuff, she just left. She had some packing to do. Oh, where she had gotten herself into…?


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry if I'm going too fast… Tell me what you think.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

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><p>"Okay, so, is all your stuff now with us?" Castle asked and watched around him in Kate's apartment. It was now little bit over 9am and Castle was helping Kate to carry her bags to Castle's car.<p>

"I believe so. I guess every main thing is with me at least."

"Let's go then", Castle told and went ahead of Kate out of the door. Kate locked it behind them and put the key in her backpack.

"Good morning, detective Beckett. I'm glad you're coming with us", Alexis greeted her from backseat of Castle's car. Next to her was sitting a boy, Ashley, Kate believed. On front seat was Martha, who nodded and gave her a smile.

"Morning Alexis! And please, say just Kate", she said and went sit next to Alexis. It was little bit weird, she was used to be the one driving.

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><p>Mileage wasn't long. It took only about an hour to get there, when there wasn't huge traffic.<p>

"Is this… some tradition to you? Go to camping?" Kate asked when they were close ´their destination.

"Yes, we do this every year. With same people. But this is first time Ashley is with us. And you", Alexis answered first.

"Yeah. Place is also the same every year. It's beautiful. You're gonna love it!" Castle continued. Kate smiled to him and turned to look out of window. That area was already beautiful. Green. She liked being in town, but in Manhattan when Central Park is pretty much only place where you can find real plants and nature. This was refreshing.

Few minutes later, when they arrived to camping area, other's cars were already there.

"Great. I guess we can start gathering our tents up." Castle said while unpacking the car.

"Castle. Where do I sleep. I didn't think about that." Beckett bite her bottom lip.

"In my tent of course."

"Well, yeah, I guess I need to."

Or his mother's tent. But he wasn't going to tell that. Besides she wouldn't want share her tent.

He started assembling their tent and Kate just stand there, hands in her pockets.

"Anything I can do?" She asked.

"No, this is ready, thank you anyway. Okay, let's put our luggage inside. Where is your sleeping bag?

"Here… Wait, where is the black? It is the sleeping bag. Have you seen it?" She asked watvhing her pile of stuff.

"No… I go check if it's in the car", he informed and started walking towards car.

"Wait. Shit! It's on floor. On my living room floor! I didn't remember take it with me when we left… Does anyone here have any extra sleeping bags? Or blankets?"

"Let's ask."

Castle and Beckett roamed around asking if someone had extra blankets. No one did. Of course.

"Then you'll sleep with me", Castle stated. Beckett glared at him, her cheeks flushing.

"I mean… Yeah… We need to use same sleeping bag or otherwise either of us will freeze to death.

"Right now I wouldn't mind if you did". it was too much for her at the moment. She wasn't ready. Wasn't she? It didn't need to mean anything else than just sleeping few nights inside of same bag, but it was complicated. It has always been complicated situation between them two.

"Hey, it's not my fault you did forget it."

"Yeah, look… Okay, I'm sorry, but…"

"And there you Katherine Beckett yourself said you have every main thing with you. It isn't that big deal sleep with me. Are you scared you would like it?" he smirked.

In fact, maybe she was… She knew she would like it, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. Maybe it was time to start admit things…

"Mh…"

He saw she wasn't comfortable. "Do you want to go walking? Here is beautiful nature?" he asked.

"Sure." They started walking along a brook. Castle knew excellent walking trails from past summers. Either of them didn't speak anything. They just walked and every second step they took, their bodies came closer each other and Castle's hand brushed lightly hers. And every second step they separated again.

When they came to a lake, Castle took her hand and lead her ahead to waterfront. She looked their joined hands and smiled. His hands were soft and big. But then their hands disconnected.

Castle pick few flat stones from ground. "Can you do stone skipping?"

"Sure I can. Bet? Loser needs to… cook today's dinner?"

"Paige's parents do that…Winner needs to give three of her marshmallows when we do them tomorrow evening."

"You are scared of little action, aren't you?"

"It's action enough to lose some marshmallows!"

Kate laughed. He was like a nine year old.

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><p>Kate had won the bet.<p>

When they came back to their tents, food was already ready. Good timing, they were starving. Hamburgers.

Everyone was in good mood and joking around. Suddenly Paige's mother asked "So, how long have you two been dating?" looking curious, watching Kate and Castle.

"Oh, no, we are not dating…" Kate corrected her.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You just look like a real couple… He cares about you Kate."

"Yes you do. I was sure you are married or something", Ashley suddenly said.

Now Kate and Rick both were blushing.

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><p>Whole left day they were playing card and joking around, but soon it was too dark, even though there was a campfire. And after everything, they were tired and they all headed to their own tents.<p>

Kate had forgotten the sleeping situation. And how she was suppose to change her clothes?

"I go to toilet to change my clothes."

And when she came back, he was already in sleeping back. After she closed the door to tent, she didnät know what to do, just sit there staring at sleeping back. It was smaller than Kate had hoped.

"Come on." He said and made as much vacancy in the bag as possible.

She was embarrassed, but went there anyway. Castle was warm… And she felt safe with him. But still thank goodness Castle had had two pillows. Their legs tangled together and she encouraged herself and rise a hand to his chest.

"Until tomorrow, Kate", Castle wished, being more comfortable and happier than ages.

"Until tomorrow, Rick", she answered, and if possible, she were even more happy than Castle.


End file.
